Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to the barley and throw in mozzarella and tomatoes.

Chop up and add ten basil leaves and cracked black pepper to taste.

Meditteranean basil salad. Photo courtesy of Leigh Bausch

2. Mediterranean Basmati Salad

Light, fresh and full of healthy unsaturated fats and fibre

Soak 1 and a 1/4 cups of uncooked basmati rice in 2 cups of water for thirty minutes.

Soak two sun-dried tomatoes in 1/4 cup of hot water for ten minutes. Drain and dice.

Put the rice into a small saucepan, stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring frequently and letting it boil for five minutes. Cover and leave on leave low heat for ten minutes.

3. Raw Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad

Simple and filling, with a creamy sauce that won’t go straight to your hips

De-rib one bunch of curly green kale with a chef’s knife, chop into small, bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt. Massage to combine (wash your hands first!) until the kale becomes darker and more fragrant

Chop off and discard stems of twelve brussel sprouts, slice thinly and add to kale

Do you have a favourite vege dish?

I am a freelance writer, dreamer and booklover. I write, rewrite, bang head against keyboard. Edit, re-edit, bang head against keyboard.
I write for Bondi Beauty, Eat Drink Play, Warhol's Children and ZOS Magazine. Coffee is just as important as breathing, plus it makes me type faster! We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.